Notre Dame Making 2025 DE Damien Shanklin A Priority

Notre Dame has made it clear to Damien Shanklin‍ that the 2025 Indianapolis defensive end is a priority.

After multiple visits to South Bend this fall, the Warren Central High School standout has kept in steady communication with the Irish.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder had a zoom call with Notre Dame defensive line assistant Nick Sebastian last week.

“Everything was good,” Shanklin says of the virtual meeting. “We were just going over my wrongs and rights. He was telling me what it was and stuff I could work on. Other than that, just hearing from him and knowing what he sees can help make progress for the next season and just get better as a player.

Shanklin says Notre Dame likes the physicality he plays with along with his continued presence in the offensive backfield. He says he believes he can improve his get-off.

A day later, Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph was in Indianapolis and checked in on Shanklin at Warren Central. Even though it was a coach from another side of the ball, Rudolph taking the time said plenty to Shanklin.

“It means a lot because they're still showing love for you,” he says. “They've got other coaches coming to see you, it just shows how interested they are in you. Me talking to them, I can just feel everything; the way they talk to me, I know that they really want me to be Irish.”

It’s a school Shanklin could envision himself at as well.

“I like the school, the culture, and just everything about the school,” he says. “It was great. The atmosphere, coaches. I feel that I can see myself playing there and just be on the team and see myself playing for a coach and in an atmosphere like that.”

Shanklin, who visited Michigan last month, doesn’t have any future trips locked in anywhere yet.

“I'll probably just stay in touch and then later on start hitting my official visits to get down to some colleges and just see how I like it and see where I see myself fitting.”

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